‘Better Off At Costco’: Florida Publix Customer Sees Size Of Ground Beef In Packs. Then They Look At The Prices

This Florida woman is accusing Publix of jacking up beef prices. But it turns out the grocer may not be at fault. Some commenters say Publix has been upping prices for a while now, while others noted that they’ve seen meat prices go up across the board at other popular grocery stores, too.

As it turns out, there may be a valid reason for the price hikes, and it might not end anytime soon.

Customer Calls Out Publix

In a trending video with more than 20,000 views, content creator Steph (@steph2will) had a mini rant in the ground beef aisle.

As she looked at the prices of ground beef, which is normally relatively inexpensive depending on the fat content you get, she was shocked.

A 3.7-pound pack of lean ground beef was priced at $30 ($7.99/lb), and a smaller 1.2-pound pack was $8.39 ($6.99 a pound).

“Publix, this is ridiculous. Seriously, what world are we really living in? … Look how small this pack is. Seriously, that fits like in my palm, crazy,” Steph said.

Beef Prices Keep Going Up

Beef lovers are feeling the squeeze as prices for ground beef and sirloin steak hit record highs in August, NerdWallet reported.

Ground beef averaged $6.32 a pound, and sirloin reached $14.31, marking year-over-year increases of 12.8% and 16.6%, respectively. Overall, beef and veal prices are up nearly 14% compared to last year.

The surge comes as a perfect storm of factors drive costs higher.

Drought, rising grain prices, inflation, and steep interest rates have all made cattle farming more expensive, leading many ranchers to shrink their herds. U.S. cattle inventory is now the smallest since 1951.

But consumer demand hasn’t budged, keeping prices high. “The real question will be, are we seeing some exhaustion? Will these consumers start to change over to cheaper substitutes?” said Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Association.

On top of that, tariffs are only making things worse. Imports from countries like Brazil, a key beef supplier, face tariffs as high as 76.4%.

Those costs are passed directly to shoppers, further tightening the market. With supply slow to rebound, it could take up to two years for new cattle to reach the market. Economists expect prices to stay high, if not rise further.

Commenters React

“Publix where price gouging is a pleasure,” a top comment read.

“It’s not just Publix folks! Stop with the hate! Meat prices are just as bad at Walmart and Target!” a person pointed out.

“For all the people who justify this by saying their customer service is good- I can’t eat customer service. Also, their customer service is mid. I’m not wowed by it,” another said.

“I love shopping at Aldi. I can get a whole cart full $150. Lots of meat,” a commenter shared.

BroBible reached out to Steph for comment via TikTok direct message and comment and to Publix via email.